Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional disorder of the bowel that has a pronounced effect on quality of life. A defining characteristic of IBS is abdominal discomfort or pain. The Rome II Diagnostic Criteria (a system for diagnosing functional gastrointestinal disorders based on symptoms) for IBS is as follows: at least 12 weeks or more, which need not be consecutive, in the preceding 12 months of abdominal discomfort or pain that is accompanied by at least two of the following features: (1) it is relieved with defecation, and/or (2) onset is associated with a change in frequency of stool, and/or (3) onset is associated with a change in form (appearance) of stool.
Other symptoms that support the diagnosis of IBS include pain; abnormal stool passage (straining, urgency, or feeling of incomplete evacuation); passage of mucus; and bloating or feeling of abdominal distension. Patients can be sub-divided by their underlying bowel habits: (i) diarrhea-predominate IBS, (ii) constipation-predominate IBS, and (ii) constipation alternating with diarrhea (alternating IBS).
The pathophysiology of IBS is poorly understood despite the fact that about a quarter of the population in the UK may exhibit the symptoms, and approximately 15 percent of U.S. adults report symptoms that are consistent with the diagnosis of IBS. It is estimated that only 25 percent of persons with IBS seek medical care. In addition, patients diagnosed with IBS are at increased risk for other, non-gastrointestinal functional disorders such as fibromyalgia and interstitial cystitis.
IBS is the most common diagnosis made by gastroenterologists in the U.S., and accounts for 12 percent of visits to primary care providers. Approximately $8 billion in direct medical costs and $25 billion in indirect costs are spent annually in the U.S. for diagnosing and treating IBS. Thus, IBS accounts for a large proportion of annual healthcare costs in the U.S.
Primary treatment of IBS involves counseling and dietary modification. Drug therapy is considered to be beneficial if directed at individual symptoms. For diarrhea predominant cases, antidiarrheal drugs such as loperamide can be used, which treat diarrhea, but not abdominal pain. Since abdominal pain is one of the defining characteristic of IBS, anti-diarrheal drugs do not adequately treat IBS (Jailwala et al., 2000, Ann Intern Med. 2000; 133:136-147; Cremonini et al., 2004, Minerva Med 95:427-441). For constipation predominant cases, ispaghula is often used to increase dietary fiber. Where patients have pain and distension as predominant symptoms, anti-spasmolytics are commonly used. Mebeverine and peppermint oil are often used in such cases. Other agents that have been tried for treating IBS include beta-blockers, naloxone, ondansetron, calcium channel blockers, simethicone, leuprorelin, octreotide and cholecystokinin antagonists with variable results (Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 31st Edition (1996) p. 1197).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,211,944 and 5,494,661 to Tempesta disclose the use of a proanthocyanidin polymeric composition isolated from Croton spp. or Calophyllum spp. for the treatment of viral infections. Rozhon et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0019389, disclose the use of a proanthocyanidin polymeric composition isolated from Croton spp. or Calophyllum spp. for the treatment of secretory or traveler's diarrhea. Di Cesare et al., 2002, Am J Gastroenterol 10:2585-2588 disclose a clinical trial of crofelemer as a treatment for traveler's diarrhea compared to placebo. Dosages used in this study were 500 mg/day (125 four times a day); 1000 mg/day (250 mg four times a day); and 2000 mg/day (500 mg four times a day) for two days. The study showed that the composition was useful for the amelioration of stool frequency and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with traveler's diarrhea.
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